New Music Monday: L.A. Witch

Did you survive SXSW 2016? I watched from the social media sidelines this year, and 2016 seemed relatively tame. (Maybe because I wasn’t schlepping it around in the rain like last year.)

I’ll be sharing around round of Secondhand SXSW later this week, but today let’s get a jump start on the music with one of my favorite new bands I discovered when I started combing through the lists of performers: L.A. Witch.

I have to admit: sometimes a band’s name catches my attention and sucks me in. Given my Halloween junkie status…L.A. Witch did just that. They also made me think of one of my favorite writers, Francesca Lia Block, and how she would totally write a book about a band with this name. (Perhaps as an opener for Cherokee Bat and the Goat Guys?)

They were featured in my SXSW-themed 3 Bands email (are you on the list?) that went out at the start of March with four other bands I recommended catching at the festival, and I loved their music so much I wanted to share it again with you guys today.

Meet L.A. Witch >>>

L.A. Witch

Home:

Los Angeles, CA

For fans of:

Velvet Underground, Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr., haunted surf rock

About the band:

“L.A. Witch knows how to conjure up the demons in pop,” says Matt Weir of Good Times Weekly, and I could not agree more – or think of a more accurate way to describe this band. Sadie, Irita and Ellie describe their sound as “reverb soaked punked out rock.” And I’d say their band history is as haunting as their music: the original drummer and band front woman literally disappeared one day, forcing Sadie and Irita to find a new band member. With just a handful of songs available, I’m anxious to hear more from them.

Why I like them:

I’ll be honest: sometimes I scan the lists of bands playing SXSW purely looking for names that intrigue me, and L.A. Witch fit the bill 100 percent. When I first pressed play, I thought I was going to hear some synthed-out band I’d find at an EDM festival. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised with something that sounds more like what I’d put on my Halloween playlist – and something that sounded like it was from decades ago.